A still from the Malayalam film “Level Cross”, starring Asif Ali. The film was directed by Arfaz Ayub.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

GUWAHATI: The three-day Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) 2025 from February 7 will showcase the best from Asian cinema with a Caucasian-Central Asian flavour.

The highlight of the inaugural edition of the GAFF at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio in Guwahati will be a set of films from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan – countries usually not associated with filmmaking in the northeastern region.

These films include Cold as Marble from Azerbaijan directed by Asif Rustamov, Joqtau from Kazakhstan directed by Aruan Anartay, and House from Uzbekistan directed by Jamshid Narzikulov.

A still from a Iranian film “Captain”.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The festival will open with the Iranian film ‘In the Arms of the Tree’ directed by Babak Khajehpasha. The closing film will be ‘y Melbourne by Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, Onir, and Kabir Khan, a quartet of Indian directors.

“The GAFF 2025 is envisaged to be a vibrant celebration of Asia’s rich storytelling traditions. Every film has been carefully selected to offer a transformative cinematic journey, bridging cultures and sparking meaningful conversations,” said Monita Borgohain, the honorary festival director.

More than 200 films were curated for the festival from across Asia, representing countries such as Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Turkey apart from those in the Caucasian and Central Asian regions.

Two films – The Great Phuket by Hong Kong’s Liu Yaonam and Not What You Think by Turkey’s Vuslat Saracoglu – will have their Indian premiere at the GAFF 2025.

A special competitive section, exclusively for films from the Northeast will recognise outstanding achievements in categories including Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Performance, celebrating creativity, technical excellence, and storytelling.

The event, organised by Trending Now Media, will also host panel discussions and workshops led by renowned filmmakers and industry experts, fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration. It will provide filmmakers, actors, and enthusiasts opportunities to network and explore future creative projects.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the cine-lovers to relish the finest cinematic masterpieces from across Asia,” honorary programme director, Kishore Kumar Sarma said.

The organisers said Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage will be the chief guest of the film festival. Film critic and festival advisor Srinivasa Santhanam, national award-winning film critic and filmmaker Utpal Borpujari, national award-winning filmmaker Manju Borah, and prominent film critic-editor Dalton Christopher will be integral parts of the GAFF.